European Right Wing Politics

[Michel Ryckx]

Doug Millison wrote:

[snip]
...perhaps out European correspondents can shed more light on the neo-fascist presence in European
governments?

This is from memory and written very hastily, so forgive me the errors.  There is one constant line
in this all over Europe: ultra right wing parties have changed their uniforms for respectable
outfits.  They have also changed the way they talked, though the underlying message stays the same:
ultra-nationalistic and anti-democrat, and sometimes openly racist.

1. Austria: the broad coalition of social democrats and conservatives was replaced about 2 years ago

by a coalition of conservatives and authoritarian right wing parties.  Since then, the politics
towards political refugees, Austrians of foreign descent, unions and 'progressive' culture has
changed drastically.  Police force has strenghtened (several incidents have been reported).  The
strong man of the FPOe, Joerg Haider, currently gouvernour of the Carinthia region, is not the
president of his party, nor is he a member of the gouvernment.  He stays in the dark.  It has leaked

out --which led to a scandal-- that the secret service sold -- or gave away-- information to the
FPOe before they came to power.  Haider refers to SS and Waffen-SS as soldiers who have done their
duty (in the past; he is very careful what he says in public now).  The gouvernment is closely
watched by the European Commission.

2.  Italy is, as usual, a very strange case.  The neo-fascist party (MSI) has had seats in
parliament for decades now.  Berlusconi made them a part of his coalition.  There are also the
nationalists from the North, which is the richer part of Italy (they declared the republic of
'Padania' independent from Italy.  This declaration was withdrawn when entering the gouvernment.)
They run a 'I want my money back' policy.  Together with Berlusconi's party and the former
neofascists they are in power now.  The impression is it is a very unstable coalition.  The European

Parliament is very concerned about the new Italian gouvernment.

The racist component of the fascist regime under Mussolini cannot be compared to the Nazi regime.
The Italian regime was reluctant in organizing antisemite razzias, and only after very heavy
pressure from Berlin.  This, by the way, made it very easy for the MSI (the term neofascist was
invented by themselves) to publicly distantiate (is that an English word?) themselves from
antisemitism.  Read your Primo Levi again: he wasn't even aware of being a jew in his youth.

It is the strong opinion of many here in Europe that the power of Berlusconi lies in his control of
the Italian media.

3.  France: the fascist party has imploded some time ago after a schism.  They've never entered a
gouvernment.  They have major positions in some, usually smaller, cities, mainly in the South.

4.  The Netherlands: fascist slogans are illegal.  The very small ultra right wing party has
completely disappeared.

5. Germany: the Supreme High Court (cannot remember its name, sorry) is currently looking for a way
to forbid a, let's face it, very small extremist right wing party.  The Constitution of the
Bundesrepublik makes that possible.  Though sometimes noisy, they have no real power, except on some

streets in some cities of former East Germany, which is haunted by a severe economic crisis.
(correct me if I'm wrong, Kuert, Kai, Otto)

6.  In my own country, unfortunately, the 'Vlaams Blok' in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium has
seats in the federal and regional parliaments.  They casted every third vote in my home town,
Antwerp,  last year in October.   They are present in most of the cities and villages.  All
democratic parties have signed a pact to continue what is called the 'cordon sanitaire': no
coalition will be formed with the fascists.  They are openly hostile to democrats, imigrants,
refugees etc  --but they are very, very shrewd. .  They make me ashamed of my own country.  As
usual, the French speaking part of Belgium behaves more decent.

This is rather incomplete but may be helpful.

Kind regards,

Michel (not someone's crony)